A River of Stars
by Nemesis dan Impyrean
Summary: Jack actually has a wife. 100 years was certainly long enough for him to find love... and ultimately lose it. 200 years later, Bunny learns the truth behind the story of the Herdboy and the Weaver, and helps Jack find closure. Closure that might result in the blossom of a new love... (The Herdboy and the Weaver is a Japanese folktale that you should read before reading this.)


One day, while a shepherd without sheep wandered the sky, he came upon a house. It sat, somehow, on the firmness of the sky where night was eternal, so far from Earth were they. Stars no larger than his hand sat clustered around the porch, waving in the gentle breeze like flowers.

There was a girl there, at a loom before the door of her house. She was weaving a garment so beautiful the boy had never seen it's like, despite having traveled the world below. Her dress was far simpler, but it was her face and form that caught his eye.

She looked up and smiled - in that moment seeming so much like an angel that the boy fell in love. He smiled back, standing lonely on the wind he was so accustomed to.

They shared no words, nor were they distracted from what they were doing for more than a moment. For the girl had duties to the weaving of heavenly garments, and the boy had duties to the spreading of earthly winter. So he came by every night for a few seconds, but gradually they grew to wish for more.

The girl was the daughter of the Man in the Moon, the ruler of the heavens. Eventually he consented to her pleading, allowing the two to join in marraige. The weaver girl and herdboy were joyful, grateful for the chance to meet more often, revelling in each other's company.

However, they grew dissatisfied. The girl felt herself desire more time with her lover, and feared she saw signs of the same wish in the boy. She finally begged the Man in the Moon to separate them before they neglected their work entirely - for abandoning their duties would bring forth punishment she did not wish to see the boy suffer.

The Man in the Moon relented, confining the girl to her heavenly home and binding the boy to the Earth. Though he could fly, the boy could no longer reach the girl. So the lovers were torn apart by the stars that flowed like a barrier between them.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, the boy looked up to see the stars had separated. The Man in the Moon sent out rays of light that acted like a bridge, connecting the two. The girl stood at the other end, her arms outstretched. So it was then the boy learned they were allowed to meet once a year.

But he turned away.

He felt betrayed, and so scorned the bridge of moonlight and his lover on the other side. Though the stars could be crossed every year, the boy never again let the rays of light reach him. For the next few centuries the girl would wait, hopeful her love would change his mind.

So goes the story of the Herdboy and the Weaver.

* * *

Bunny yawned.

It had been three days since July Fourth, and he was still tuckered out from the festivities the Guardians had held. The elves had somehow gotten ahold of the fireworks near the end, so he'd left earlier than the others.

He hopped out of his tunnels, landing somewhere in Hawaii. The sky was black, the stars shining brightly.

Nice, warm place. Good area to gather inspiration for painting his googies.

Bunny pulled out his paintbrush, surprised when a drop of water hit his nose. He shook it off, looking up at the sky. To his surprise, clouds were rapidly gathering, covering the sky in a blanket of dark grey.

Clouds shouldn't move that fast…

Then he saw the familiar figure practically dancing among the clouds. He scowled, calling out, "Oi! Frost! What're you doing?"

The white-haired boy looked around, spotting him. In seconds the mischievous boy stood before him, grinning. "What's wrong, cottontail? Can't handle a bit of water?" Jack teased, pulling his hood up. Rain started falling heavily, pelting them.

Bunny shook his fur irately. "Since when can you make it rain?" he demanded.

Jack shrugged. "It's snowing up there, but it's too hot too make it down here without melting." He laughed, gesturing to the sky with his shepherd's staff. "So… rain."

"Couldn't you make it rain somewhere else?" Bunny asked, not really expecting an answer.

To his surprise, Jack shrugged. "Sure I could. Was that a serious request?"

Bunny raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Nah, I'll go somewhere else. How long will this storm last?"

"All night."

"What in the blazes…? That's a bit long, don'tcha think?" Bunny exclaimed.

Jack chuckled. "You're welcome to stay, if you like." He sat cross-legged on the ground, laying his staff horizontally on his lap. All the energy seemed to drain from his body as he looked up at the sky… waiting.

The sight was so strange Bunny could only stare.

"Oh, look. It's Manny," Jack said, his voice dispassionate. Bunny followed his gaze to where a faint circle of light glowed, barely shining through the thick cloud cover. It only lasted a moment before Jack raised his hand, the clouds blotting out the silvery circle entirely.

Frowning, Bunny glanced at Jack. "What's going on?" Because something was clearly going on. The flatness of Jack's voice, the solemnity of his posture - it was like Jack was angry at Manny. Purposely blocking him out.

The following silence lasted so long that Bunny thought Jack wasn't going to reply.

Then, "Tanabata."

"Huh?"

"Tanabata," Jack repeated. He seemed to struggle with his words before adding, "She was my wife, you know."

Bunny blinked, shocked at the fact Jack even had a wife.

Jack laughed bitterly. "Yep. The infamous Jack Frost managed to find love. But that was centuries ago. Two, to be exact." He sighed, looking up at the cloudy sky. "She was a… Well, a spirit. An immortal, like us." He smiled weakly. "But she was Japanese. And she was absolutely beautiful." He tugged his hood lower over his face. "I loved her. And she loved me. And then she married me."

"So… What went wrong?" Bunny asked curiously.

Jack grimaced. "She asked the Man in the Moon - who blessed our marraige, by the way, since he's her father…" Breaking off the laugh at the shock on Bunny's face, Jack continued, "She asked the Man in the Moon to separate us. I was devastated. I threw myself into making blizzards for months, only easing off when summer came along."

The boy paused to cast more power at the clouds as the rain lightened slightly, reinvigorating the storm. "Then one day, I looked up and saw the stars had cleared away. A bridge of moonlight glimmered, with Tanabata standing at the other end. She got tired of me!" Jack scowled. "She kept me the length of heaven away from her, only choosing to be reunited with me once a year." He curled in on himself, hugging his knees.

"After that, I learned the pattern. So I made it rain wherever I was on the seventh day of the seventh month, not letting the moonlight reach me. Never."

The story sounded familiar to Bunny. Then he remembered which story it reminded him of. It was definitely different, but… "You're Hikoboshi?" he exclaimed, shocked. He'd never met the Herdboy before, but now he knew why.

Jack smirked. "What, our story's a legend now? Yeah, I'm Hikoboshi. That was the name I gave her when she asked for it. Tanabata was Japanese, and at the time I had been afraid she wouldn't accept me if she thought I wasn't." He heaved a sigh. "A useless gesture."

Bunny frowned. "But the story says the two of you neglected your duties, so as punishment you were distanced from each other."

In a flash, Jack was on his feet. "The story is wrong!" he snapped. "I did no such thing. Yes, I wished to abandon the work of spreading winter. How dull it seemed compared to my lover's company, can you blame me?" He breathed heavily, glaring at Bunny. "But I didn't. I worked to be faithful to both, to the best of my abilities. And yet one day I arrive at her house, only to hear her begging the Man in the Moon to separate us!"

A light fog kicked up around his feet, a sign of his anger as the temperature struggled to drop. "Don't say I abandoned anything," Jack said quietly, his anger fading to sorrow. "She turned her back on me…" He slumped in on himself, seeming small and sad in the rain.

Bunny was by now thoroughly soaked, but he didn't particularly mind. He reached out, pulling the youth against his chest. He felt Jack resist slightly, but eventually the boy leaned against him, his small frame shaking with sobs. "It's alright," Bunny murmured.

They stayed that way for a long time. Eventually Jack calmed, falling asleep - to Bunny's slight chargin. He noticed that as Jack's breathing slowed, the clouds began to clear, thinning.

He was not too surprised when the moonlight glimmered brightly. The bridge Jack spoke of shimmered into existence. It was magnificent, as if every railing and step was wrought from purest silver. Bunny stared at it for a long while, trying to connect this structure with the heart-breaking story Jack had told.

"Hikoboshi…?"

The lilting voice carried down to Bunny, whose sensitive ears caught the quietly spoken word. He looked further up the bridge, to the very top. There stood a small figure, swathed in white cloth. They moved closer to their end of the bridge, grasping the railing.

"Hikoboshi?"

Bunny didn't know what to do. In the end, he shook Jack awake. This was the kid's story - he should decide the next move. Jack woke slowly, stirring.

"Hikoboshi!"

The name was called out this time, loud enough to wake Jack fully. He sat up quickly, looking up at the bridge. His expression was a mixture of horror and shock. The girl was running towards them, the edge of her kimono swishing along the silvery surface.

"Tana…bata…" Jack breathed. He seemed frozen.

Bunny hesitated, uncertain whether to leave them alone or stay and support Jack. In the end he backed away just slightly, waiting to see what Jack did.

In the end, Jack just stood there, unable to move. Tanabata reached the edge of the bridge where Jack stood, throwing herself in his arms. "Hikoboshi…! I have missed you so much, my love," she cried, hugging him tightly. Her pale hands gripped his jacket tightly as she shook, overcome with emotion. Though she reached out to hold him, the girl's feet never strayed farther than the end of the moonlight bridge.

Finally, Jack extracted himself, holding her at an arm's length. "Tanabata," he murmured, studying her. Then his expression darkened. "You've missed me? You're the one who asked for me to be bound here! To never see you more than once a year!" He pushed her away. The girl cried out as she fell, her back hitting the bridge.

"I… I am sorry," she whispered. "I am so sorry. But I thought… our duties…"

"Is that how little faith you had in me?" Jack demanded fiercely.

Tanabata flinched. She shrank in on herself. "I was only worried that we would do something we would regret," she protested weakly. "I did not think it would anger you so. Please, understand I only wished to do what was right…"

"I cannot love someone who does not trust me," Jack said, trying and failing to keep the hurt out of his voice. "Don't bother waiting ever again." He stepped back, out of her reach. Tanabata trembled, wanting to follow him - but those of heaven cannot step foot on Earth without turning to ash.

She bowed her head, turning. Her walk back to heaven was slow, a far cry from her exhultant dash to Earth. As she walked, the bridge of moonlight crumbled behind her, keeping pace with her steady movements. As the night was not yet over, the meaning was clear - they would never meet again. Tanabata no longer wanted even the hope of one night with her love.

Bunny winced as the hope was extinguished in the weaver girl. He was confused, however, about Jack's own hope. It swelled within the boy, seemingly boundless as he watched Tanabata vanish into the night sky.

Jack turned to Bunny, smiling broadly. "I'm finally free," he laughed, and then it made sense to Bunny.

* * *

"You look dignified," North said approvingly, patting Jack on the shoulder.

The boy laughed, steadying himself against a nearby stone egg to keep his knees from buckling. "I hope so," he said teasingly. "Phil made this, didn't he? He's the best." Jack fiddled with the tie around his neck. He wore his usual pants, and his feet were still bare.

His jacket, however, was replaced by a shimmering blue cape that fell lightly around his white shirt.

A simple change, but it was all Jack had been willing to allow. His wife-to-be hadn't minded - it was his teeth she was mostly enchanted by. And her love lay for the laughter and tears in his heart.

Bunny popped his head in. "Oi! Get on with it, would you?"

Jack and North laughed. The boy skipped forward, taking his place by the podium. Sandy stood there, giving him a thumbs-up. Then the music started, elves happily playing their various instruments. They were notorious troublemakers, but boy could they play.

The door opened, revealing Tooth. She floated forward, her wings nervously to keep her movement steady. A white veil was draped over her face, her dress trailing behind her. It was white, but edged with the iridescent colors of her feathers. The hem was lifted by her tooth fairies, each one unable to stop from chittering excitedly as they flew.

Jack grinned.

"You look beautiful," he said happily as Tooth took her place before him.

Sandy spelled out his speech with his dreamsand while North and Bunny watched. Tooth and Jack responded with the appropriate words whenever Sandy asked questions. Finally, the ceremony reached it's end. Sandy smiled as he formed the letters, YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE.

Jack pulled back Tooth's veil, revealing her joyful eyes. She smiled back at him before they kissed.


End file.
